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Post by Rob Albritton on Jan 24, 2019 19:18:20 GMT -5
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Post by cwrr on Jan 24, 2019 19:55:33 GMT -5
Loved that show as a kid!
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Post by markm on Jan 24, 2019 20:42:39 GMT -5
Rob,
I have to stand by my original statement. Remember Alberich is modelling the early 1960s. The PA systems were vacuum tube units, with a 5Kc/s dynamic range, powered nearly into feedback, driven by a carbon microphone and driving metal horn speakers. I think it models the era rather well. The only addition I can think of is to pass it through a 5kHz band pass filter and add 60 cycle hum.
BTW I was in the Lodi station today when the San Joaquin (note spelling!) passed through. The train announcement sounded like it was done by Stephen Hawking.
Mark
Mark
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2019 22:35:21 GMT -5
My final post about speech : I wonder if we are still speaking of a train layout or a cluster of synthesizers : remember that I have no sound for locomotives, and that the speech has only demonstration purposes (for kids who probably don't understand English, or geeks ), to show what is possible to do. As I wrote, for myself and most demonstrations I will all the way switch it off (it can be rather boring ... ) And in case of doubt, I could use a system like in " Phantom of the Paradise" (1974), or call for Jean-Michel Jarre and his vocoders ... STOOOP ! This thread looks more and more like a so called "troll". Let's go back to really model railroading related subjects ! I think the speaking station (the starting point of this discussion) was initially only a "gadget" added to a toy train, with a simple mechanical phonograph system (like the original Edison model, or old devices of the pre-electronic times) : the original version is on YouTube ; and our layouts are far from the tin plate era. Sorry, even the Emic 2 has a much better sound ! Initially, I wanted only build a countdown unit with an old ... SP0256 (if anybody is still remembering ... ), and emulating the talking station was for me a new kind of challenge. By the way, almost everybody can integrate another speaking device, sampling based, using the "talking cards" systems (I read that there was now such a "modern" version of the station, made by Lionel).
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2019 0:01:02 GMT -5
Back with the layout itself ... Now temperature reached more pleasant values in my cellar and I can work again ; during winter I worked in my kitchen and mainly built structures, they are now almost completed (all the way, I need them before I can begin with the landscape, especially for the "village" ) ; I had to make some "kitbashing" (Evergreen and 3D-prints, I am waiting for the parts from Shapeways to finish) for the freight sheds, to increase the length of the platforms (35 cm) and their height (Rokuhan tracks ! ). I was thinking now of adding the loudspeakers and the additional boards for the "voice output", I solved all technical problems during winter, the source text for the control program growed about 40% in length, BUT : - I am afraid that finally train announcements in stations alone will sound silly, as there are no train related sounds (engine, horn, bell and brakes, like in the "Sound for Christmas" video). The "talking station" used a "mechanical sampler" (a gramophone) to produce all these sounds. So I would need in fact a sampling card, as Rob wrote, and this would not solve the problem of the sound "out of stations" ; a built-in board (in engines) can only be used in conjunction with my "beloved" DCC ! - Most visitors won't understand English, all the way ... - The only interesting data (for me) would be the countdown before the next automatic start (if activated), and perhaps the concerned train, when I walk around the layout and show some details to my visitors. So I will build the "minimal" speech version, as I wanted at the beginning ; I admit that train announcements would have been interesting, but only in conjunction with a complete sound system.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2019 2:49:47 GMT -5
After speaking with my modeller friend (the man who painted the station, gazebo and signals for me, and heard my tests of speech output, but ... doesn't understand English), we thought that any speech output would sound strange, I came back to the initial idea of adding a digital display on the console ... but I can't read it when I am walking around. So, there will be finally the choice between only coded ( NO, no Morse code ) discreet beeps, for countdown or some error signalling, or a countdown and announcement of the next train selected (when system is in automatic mode) with a female, air-stewardess-like voice ... Emic-2 is a fine board, it would be a pity not to use it (since I did already buy it ... for 55 € ! )
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 3:05:41 GMT -5
My removable "cage" against dust ; there is a margin, so the fabric can't touch the elements of the landscape (especially buildings and trees).
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Post by ugeesta on May 6, 2019 5:19:07 GMT -5
^^^^^^^. I had to do something like that except put hard sides on it so my cats would not trash my layout. I tried fabric but the little devils easily worked around it. The only thing that stopped them was panel board tied down with Velcro straps....
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 7:13:50 GMT -5
I have no cat, no dog, no children and no wife ... so, NO TROUBLE !
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Post by markm on May 6, 2019 11:57:34 GMT -5
On my last layout (4x4 feet) I was able to use just two poles with a wire between them and drape a sheet across much like a tent.
As far as training the cats, I can only suggest a technique from Star Trek TNG: "a phaser at a low stun setting."
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Post by arsenix2001 on May 6, 2019 14:17:00 GMT -5
I built a full foam insulation board box cover that is sturdy enough to withstand one fat curious cat. Looks ridiculous but it did have the added benefit of sealing out dust as well that I never had even considered.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2019 15:08:05 GMT -5
In my case the box should be about 9.5' x 4.75' ... a little bit too large ! And, Mark, why are You so "HiTech" ? In "Tom and Jerry" there is an episode called "Puss gets the boot" ...
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2019 11:58:39 GMT -5
The freight depot for the "village station" : It's a kitbashing from a Kibri model ; the colours were modified to fit those of the "Blumendorf" station, which was "americanized" by milling vertical grooves into the walls of the ground floor to look like planking ; unfortunately I couldn't do the same thing with the depot, the walls were too thin. The new platform is made of Evergreen to allow (un)loading of 5 cars simultaneously, the platform for the trucks and the stairs are 3D-printed, and the depot got new roofs ... The barrels (Mark wrote that they were rarely shipped by train, but "rarely" does not mean "impossible" ) mask a flaw in paint, consecutive to gluing the gutter descent ... Unfortunately Charlie's model is too large for a village, despite of the fact that it looks fine. And for the town I put two Faller kits together, to fit my " town station", made of bricks ; pictures will follow soon, I am still waiting for some parts by Shapeways. Concerning the station, I made an additional platform so the overall lenght is about 34 cm (for the double NH-Budd), and replaced the original "lightning rods" (?), made of plastic and very fragile, with 3D-printed parts ... made of brass.
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Post by Deleted on May 23, 2019 0:31:18 GMT -5
And here comes the freight depot for the "town station", kitbashed from "1.4" Faller-kits ...
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Post by BAZman on May 23, 2019 20:09:45 GMT -5
Man, soooooo many places have Massively Compressed or 4 bit sampled crap. This is quite interesting. While not quite 'to scale', getting station platform sounds 'directional' and pseudo quick focus of where its coming from or, loud enough to overcome your home low volume at a show where another 67 dB needs to be added !!!
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